Marshall, Alfred (1842–1924)

Abstract

English economist Alfred Marshall, founder of the Cambridge School of economics, was a leading and internationally prominent figure in the development of economic thought between 1870 and 1920. He played a significant role in professionalizing British economics, always stressing the social importance of wider economic understanding. His influential ideas on economic theory were conveyed primarily in his Principles of Economics (1890). Accounts of his life, career and general views on economics are followed by a more technical treatment of his contributions to various aspects of economic analysis. Guides to his writings and to the secondary literature on him are appended.